Summer 2026 --> 90s / Y2K : why I'm slowing down and logging on less this summer

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I hope everyone is enjoying their summer so far! I can't believe we are already almost in August. 

This newsletter, I'd like to discuss my intention for this season. As you know, I'm working remotely this summer as well as moving : so it's been a season of big changes both personally and professionally. 

I've been busy with my personal move, packing, and planning for the big day. So much so that sending out this newsletter has been on my to do list all month. I actually wrote it in late June! I hope it feels relatable: that everyone doesn't get everything done all the time. 

To keep myself grounded, I've been reflecting on how I'd like to feel, and I've come up with a theme for my summer: my 90's/ Y2K summer! (I've also dubbed this summer my "seafood girl summer" but that is for another post!) Now, that isn't necessarily a feeling in and of itself, but I've seen and felt a yearning for a more simple time - and the 90's and early 2000s embody that for me. So, I'm trying to bring parts of that era into my summer this year 

Before I dive in to what I've been doing, I'll explain the "why" behind this. When I contemplated my values, and what is important to me - big life changes will do that - I've been thinking about the life I'd like to lead, and I came up with a few things that I'd like to prioritize; 

1. Less time online - scrolling specifically 

2. More connection to others

3. Going out and doing fun things 

As a millennial, I was fortunate enough to grow up and still have a rather analog childhood. Now, more than ever, I'm trying to be intentional about my choices and the way that I live : and I've really been craving that era. 

Further, I've thought about this a lot in regards to brain function. We live in an evolving technological era, but I worry for myself that it's all too easy to use AI to help me scour the internet for answers and a succinct summary rather than to seek out the information myself.  I was chatting with my husband, and noticing that I am physically writing less. I use voice to text options often and do not have a big need for analog writing. I fear that my skills, as simple as spelling, may suffer if I continue that long terms. 

So, fun fact : I wrote this newsletter the old fashioned way. Initially, I thought that was a waste of time. However, in the spirit of my 90s/Y2K summer, I grabbed my coffee and water bottle and went on to my deck to write. I'm happy to report that although my hand was slightly cramping, I only ae a few words to look up the spelling for! Besides, I remember as a child always doing a rough draft and then either writing a "pretty" version by hand, or later in my schooling, typing out the final copy to turn in. 

Another fun fact about me: I actually hand wrote almost all of my notes in both university and medical school, and I was probably one of the only ones handwriting. I'm excited to get back to writing, as it has been about 6 years now since I have put pen to paper in a meaningful way.

See my newsletter first draft and brainstorm below!

Okay back to brain health: I also want to protect my brain as I age. Social media, particularly, is designed to capture your attention. The brain releases dopamine in anticipation of the next video. Thus, we get a hit of feel good hormones when we use it. The trick here is that we get dopamine in the anticipation and pursuit and not in the actual content itself. 

I've noticed a rise in my practice of ADHD for both adults and pediatric patients. I truly think that social media is a perpetrator of this increased incidence. I've even noticed in myself, someone without ADHD, struggling to sit down a keep my attention on one task. Many of my patients tell me that they sit down to watch TV while also scrolling: and that is an example of brain dysregulation and inattention. So, I'm hoping that a more analog summer, will help reset and retrain my brain to be more present.  

In order to change my behaviour, I'll need to understand it. I thought it would be fun to do a good old fashioned brain storm, in the spirit of 90s summer.

I started with my main themes and then identified if there was a problem or behaviour I wanted to modify and then ways to remedy it by giving specific swaps for what I'd like to change.

I'm happy to share my brainstorm and experience for you here (it has a few spelling errors, and it's not perfect but this is how my brain works):

Scanned_20260730-1538.pdf

Download PDF • 1.36MB

I've identified that I use social media for the following reasons:

1. I crave connection with others

2. I love to learn new things and see recipe and food ideas as well as home design

3. I do it as an easy , low effort way to destress

4. To stay informed with news, and updates from people I care about

I then thought about ways I'd like to change those behaviours and alternatives to achieve those goals. Particularly focusing on ways to do this without social media. For myself personally, I am not cutting out all technology. I just want to spend less time on social media mindlessly. I no longer have a landline to call my friends, so I think it's okay to choose which tech I am okay with and which I'd like to limit. We don't actually live in the 90s, so I think this is an okay consolation.

For example, when I crave connection, perhaps I'll text a friend and set up a coffee date, or send them a voice note.

For learning, I've subscribed to the NYT cooking app and newsletter so I can spend less time scrolling for recipe inspiration. I also bought myself a cookbook to flip through. I'm considering a style at home or food network magazine subscription. I typically get these at the library, but having my own copy may be helpful to decrease scrolling. I even wrote down that maybe I would consider a leader post or newspaper subscription: I'm unsure and still workshopping that idea.  (Haha, in a brainstorm, you write down all your ideas and filter later) .

I also created a list of tasks or activities that would bring me some stress relief and a hit of dopamine. Some of these tasks are easy, and some require more effort and are more challenging. Funny enough, one of the easiest and quickest stress relievers is meditation, which is something that I need some more practice with. But now I have a list to look at and think about as something I can do instead of picking up my phone: maybe I'll make a recipe or do a workout. Maybe I need to feel accomplished to destress so to get a dopamine hit, so I pack up a box or go through a drawer.

Now, I'll still use social media : but I am trying to use it more like a search engine to find specific things rather than scrolling and hoping that I'll find them. So, I may research lobster rolls and find exactly what I am looking for, but the idea itself came from my brain rather than the other way around.

I hope that I've inspired you to perhaps take some time to reflect on August and how you'd like to feel for the remainder of the season. Let me know if you decide to so a 90s/Y2K summer, or if you've got another summer vibe in mind.  

Dr. Larissa